Month: October 2008

Well, this Gentleman’s Fancy seems almost so fancy it’s ugly. Or the other way around. Right now, I’m finding it compelling in its complete and utter strangeness. So much so, that I might have just ordered a couple more skeins of the Opal Hundertwasser yarn. Oops. Well, The Loopy Ewe is having a Halloween sale. That’s my excuse. That and complete lack of impluse control. Which isn’t really an excuse so much as a cry for help.

Speaking of which, my mystery sock would like to register displeasure at its abandonment. I’ve left it to linger while I pursue more straight-forward technicolor adventures. Variations on 2×2 ribbing, that I can do while reading; cables with yarn-overs, decreases, and basic counting, not so much.

yarn: Sheepaints sock’n go (75% new wool, 25% nylon), 420m/100g in turkis with small amount of Regia 4-ply sock in black for edging

needles: US7/4.5mm circs

started: August 15, 2008

finished: October 29, 2008

mods: added two extra repeats of lace pattern

Even with the extra lace repeats, this shawl came out quite petite: its wingspan is 52 inches; from center to tip it measures about 22 inches. It could have been blocked a bit more aggressively for a slighly bigger result, I assume, but since I was just using pins, I let it stand. Luckily, I was going for a scarf, more than anything. And it’s perfect for the cooler weather: warm, but not too heavy. The yarn was wonderful to knit with; the color is just the right shade of turquoise.

And I squeezed every last yard out of the skein.

Once I accepted that this would not be a fabulously exciting knit, but rather more contemplative and repetative, I enjoyed working on it. The repeat is easy to memorize — after a while I only had to occassionally give it my full attention, so that many a useless program was watched. Good clean knitting fun.

(Apologies for a boring post. It’s cold and dark here, which has seemed to send my brain into hibernation.)

In an instance of serendipitous timing, this package arrived on Saturday, as most of the east-coast knit-blogging world was amusing themselves at Rhinebeck. This is only part of the collection of fibery goodnes residing in my closet in WA — all purchased in one way or another while I was 1) in Germany or 2) in need of storage space. I have no explanations as to why I bought all of this yarn. Nevertheless, it is a lovely surprise. I’m in deep passionate love with each and every skein.

Now, if I can just ward off startitis long enough to finish what’s lingering in my knitting basket. Got to free up the needles, after all.

The koigu version of the mystery sock didn’t really work out — the yarn was much too busy for the pattern. So I frogged and started again with some KnitPicks kettle-dyed sock yarn in gold. I’ve never worked with KnitPicks sock yarn before, but so far, I’m liking the yarn. And not only because of the price: it’s soft and seems quite sproingy. If that’s a description.

Anyhoo. The pattern is shaping up nicely in the new yarn. Because of my tight knitting troubles and an experiment with US1.5/2.5mm needles, I cast on for the 72-stitch version despite my preference for the 64-stitch cable pattern. Le sigh. Unfortunately, I also prefer socks that fit.

RAF anyone? Well, except without the guns and violence and politics. Much like the Baader-Meinhof Gang, the Single Sock Liberation Movement was not an ideological standpoint I thought I’d be subscribing to anytime soon. But that’s all changed. With this latest foray into single sockdom, I think I have to admit my revolutionary proclivities.

One Gentleman’s Plain Winter Sock [ravel it] in Trekking xxl (color 100) with an afterthought heel and star toe of four points. And one Masonic Lodge sock [ravel it] in Trekking xxl (color 145) with a short-row reel and star toe of four points.

Because of move-out dates, flight reservations, hotel stays, and apartment disarray, these both turned in to travelling knitting. The Plain Winter Sock was my last sock completed in Germany; the Masonic Lodge my first back in NJ. Ah, single sock milestones.

Things are still a bit disorganized here; most notably my work schedule. In the mean time, while I get the academic stuff sorted out and adjust to the new apartment, I’ve been concentrating on curbing the latest startitis epidemic.

With only limited success. Right now, I’ve got two socks (not matching) and a sweater on the needles. Not to mention that Shetland Triangle [ravelry] languishing at the bottom of my knitting basket. Each single sock I prefer to think of as complete within itself.

Oh, sweet, sweet koigu, how I’ve missed thee. Despite the wonders of German yarn (Trekking, anyone?) and the incredible greatness of reliable internet (hello, Verizon: want to set up my service soon?), I truly missed koigu. I didn’t knit with it much before, but not having it around — all the pretty colors ready to squeeze on the shelves — made me lust after some KPPPM. So: my welcome-back gift to myself. Ready and waiting to become a Socktoberfest mystery sock.